Cliques
Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of
According to Wikipedia, a clique is an informal social group developed when a few people have common interests. Cliques are common in middle school, high school, and college settings and are normally developed by girls. Cliques can have many dimensions and can vary from each other, but there are common attributes to all cliques.
The Queen Bee is considered the leader of the clique. She is most likely very beautiful, has leadership powers that she uses to influence and manipulates other members of the clique as well as those that aspire to be members. She carries herself in a way that says she is better than everyone else. The Queen Bee is someone the rest of the clique wants to be like. What she does or wears usually becomes an immediate trend within the clique. Clique members follow the Queen Bee’s dislikes in just about anything, including people. When the Queen Bee decides that she does not like someone, the entire group follows suit in order to remain in the clique.
The Queen Bee is normally in charge of the clique, but there are usually power struggles within cliques that can change who the Queen Bee is. For instance, an aspiring Queen Bee could secretly spread rumors or become better at something that the Queen Bee is known for doing. The members of the clique begin to emulate a new Queen Bee. It is also possible for Queen Bees to decrease interest in certain cliques, lose status through conditions out of her control (i.e. parent lost a job and there is not enough money), or begin maturing out of the clique stage of her life.
An Outcast is someone the clique targets for ridicule for some reason or another. As long as the Queen Bee approves, the ridicule does not stop until the clique is she wants it to stop. Attacks from the clique can include both verbal and physical abuse. Ridicule can now occur over the internet through email, message boards, blogs, web sites, and so on (Cliques, Clicks, Bullies And Blogs). Outcasts are embarassed in front others, excluded from activities, and become the targets for unwarranted ridicule and jokes. It is rare to see others standing up for an Outcasts because there is the fear of becoming the clique’s next target.
Clique behavior is oftern considered a form of bullying and s long-term damage to Outcasts that do not seek help to counteract the effects of being targets. Application in and effects on classrooms and similar settings
Application in and effects on classrooms and similar settings
The movie Mean Girls is a wonderful example of clique behaviors in schools. While watching this film, just about everyone can relate these experiences to their own and educators can see these happening in schools everday. It is important to individuality and self-control among adolescents, especially in girls. If students can learn to think for themselves, they can decide for themselves how to behave, without being worried about belonging to a clique. This is and will undoubtedly continue to be a problem among American schools.
The movie mean girls is a good example of clique behaviors in the school setting. As I watched this movie I wondered if it would be a good movie to show to Jr. High students? As the movie went on I thought there was too many parts of the movie that were improper for the school setting. I wish I could have showed the movie because in my one class I teach we have one day where cliques is our topic of discussion. Bret Helms
Evidence of effectiveness
Cliques give their members a sense of belonging and in turn, a sense of worth. There are many instances of cliques being beneficial to their members, promotiing confidence and self-esteem. However, there are also many instances when cliques and the desire to be part of cliques drive students into doing inappropriate activites these students would otherwise not paricipate in. Cliques can continue not only through college, but into the adult workplace as well, becoming a major souurce of stress and anxiety to many people.
Critics and their rationale
Cliques can help children form close bonds with others that are their own age and have the same interests. There is evidence to suggest that cliques help children develop a sense of belonging as well provide social skills helpful for later in life.
However, there are negative effects of cliques as well. Clique members may lose focus in school and in family functions because the importance of belonging to the clique has risen dramatically in their lives. Clique members desperately seek the approval necessary to belong in the clique can easily succumb to peer pressure. This can result in children doing dangerous activities that can be hurtful to themselves and others in order to be accepted.
Developing leadership skills in middle and high school is critical for young girls in becoming independent and strong when facing the world. Ciques seem to have the opposite effect since the majority of the girls in the clique are followers. I have observed several playground scenarios where the "followers" will not proceed on to the playground until the leader has walked down the stairs and has finished her lunch. They will wait around or walk very slowly to pass time as to not leave the leader alone. The key to cliques working out for the members is dependence on the members. The leaders need the followers to make them leaders and the followers need the leaders to make them popluar and to direct their actions. This kind of dependence facilitates abuse of power and most certainly does not allow for independent thought.
There have also been suggestions that Outcasts can develop extrememly dangerous reactions to clique ridicule and ostrazation. People have cited that tragedies in schools such as Columbine High School are due to clique behaviors.
Alternative explanations due to Diversity considerations
Many times, when walking through the halls of large schools, one will notice clique based on different races. Students are often drawn towards people they are physically similar to and that have the same backgrounds and family experiences.
Cliques and Television/Movies
When the movie "Mean Girls" first came out in the movie theatres, I remember hearing the morning radio guys talking about the movie and how "unrealistic" it was. After seeing the movie, I want to know where they, the radio guys, grew up - I thought mean girls was VERY realistic. Not only do kids participate in cliques, but they also see it over and over again in the movies and on television.
Think about the following movies:
- Breakfast Club - Featuring the Jock, the Princess, the Criminal, the Basket Case, and the Brain
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off Here is a quote from the movie "Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him."
- Mean Girls - Featuring the Plastics
- Clueless - A movie review states that "On paper, Clueless would sound like just about any other high school comedy. It's got the popular girls and the jocks, the dreamboats and the bitches, the stoners and the slackers." [1]
- The Outsiders - Featuring the Greasers and the Socials
- Revenge of the Nerds
Signed "life experiences", testimonies and stories
In reference to the video list on Cliques I think that all junior high and high school students should watch Mean Girls. It is one of the most surprising movies I have seen. It really breaks down how mean students can be to each other and how much of an affect that can have on someone. Cliques are not always a bad thing when students who are in different cliques interact in a positive way. Cliques become bad when students see other cliques as enemies or rivals. I think that throughout life we stay in our cliques. We hang out with people who have common interests, jobs, hobbies, etc. and this is not a bad thing as long as it doesn't make you close minded and open about others. B. Moore
In addition to the video references above, there are lots of young adult books that glorify cliques and exclusive behavior. One of the most popular, The Clique series by Lisi Harrison, features titles such as Dial L for Loser and the Revenge of the Wannabes. My junior high students love these books and really seem to mimic the characters' cliquish behavior. -R. Foley
I believe that you can find cliques eveywhere. Children as well as adults can directly or indirectly experience them some time during thier life. I have seen cliques present in children around kindergarten age. Sometimes it is not very apparent. But I think the classroom teacher should always take time to step back, observe and listen to what is occurring in the classroom among the children and their peers. If a child does not fit in with what is looked at as acceptable within a group, the child will not be treated equally or accepted by the group. As a result, I try to talk and do activities with the children on a regular basis on how we should treat others. Camille Unzicker
I agree that in the middle school cliques can be very negative for most people. In both my teaching and own schooling experience, I have witnessed and been a part of this. Cliques, as the WikED states, can provide children with positive experiences. It allows them to interact with those of similar backgrounds, who have similar interests etc. However, this is where the negative connotation occurs. If children do not fit those molds, or someone in the clique says one doesn't fit the mold, then children are left helpless and to survive on their own in the scary world of hormones, betrayal, and outright meanness. It's a scary world for teenagers and having people to experience it with makes it a lot easier. Hopefully I can help teenagers through this difficult time in their life so it isn't an awful experience as it was for many people. J. Cappa
My own small school teaching experience has opened up my eyes to more cliqueish behaviors than I ever though I would see in a middle school of less than 115 students and a high school with 140 students. I experienced more at the middle school level this past year (2004-05), with girl cliques that outcasted unsuspecting students that chose not to be a part of the clique. The outcasts were so devastated that it took days for the healing to begin. Also, since it is such a small school, students see each other all day in the same classes hour after hour. When a grade level has a meeting, the entire class fits in one classroom.
A veteran teacher began a mentoring program with 8th graders partnering up with incoming 6th graders (where the clique behavior was worst). There were special homerooms designated for discussing clique behaviors and how others were affected. It will be interesting to see how the cliques fared over the summer and to see if the Queen Bees of the cliques have changed their ways at all.
I remember my first job experience as a high school band director and music appreciation teacher. I came into a situation where the football players had to take an "extra-curricula" course. You can imagine the typical "jock" mentality. Well I was emphatic about them doing what they had to do to pass my class. I was heart set on them singing at the "Spring Concert" or "Christmas Concert." Many times they retaliated but since I had the power of the "pen" they succumb and did what was right---Claude
Cliques are evident in many social groupings, but I believe that they can affect children more than adults since they are still trying to figure themselves out and find their true friends and place of belonging. Last year, I had one 4th grade girl constantly writing in her journal about her classmates who wouldn't include her in any games or free time activities and she couldn't understand why. One day I asked her about it after seeing it come up repeatedly and she basically broke down and started crying because she felt so excluded. Being part of a clique is one thing and not being part of one is a whole other story. Teachers can play a role in facilitating groupings inside the classroom, but it is out of our hands many times when it is outside from there. JP
I have had one possibly positive clique experience. I just finished my third year in a rural school teaching band and choir to students in grades 5th -12th grade. I had my high school band students write a final essay on the effect of music education in their lives. I had many responses from students that referenced their clique of new friends "the bandos". They said that these newfound friends were supportive, kept them from caving into peer pressure, and generally made their school experience more comfortable. Maybe, in this instance, a clique isn’t such a bad thing... A. Sylvester
Cliques are a reality in all school settings. Teachers should try to have an open discussion about cliques with students to help them realize what they're doing to others and the consequences of their actions. They might not be able to break up cliques, but at least through discussion they might become more comfortable with who they are.
In my HS experience, there were many cliques but I seemed to be apart of all of them, yet I felt I was my own clique. It is like that in college to. i am apart of the in crowd but I bounce from clique to clique. So can i really claim that i am apart of a clique or was apart of a clique? Ty Martin
I went to a very small high school. The lines between the cliques were clearly drawn. Everyone was aware of how popular they were and what behaviors would make you more popular. When I got to college, I found it amusing how important popularity was to us in high school, because it meant nothing in college. I often have fun looking at all the students on campus and trying to decide if they were popular or not during high school. Jenny Circello
I went to a small high school of 300, and we definitely had cliques. I was apart of the popular clique, but I was an outcast in a way. Everyone was aware of money statuses within our community, and I was not apart of money. My parents did not make a lot of money, but I was still apart of that clique. It still amazes me today how superficial they were about money back then.--M.Hicks
As with any typical high school experience, I saw cliques everywhere from grades 9-12. However, my graduating class was rather unique. In a class of about 300 people, ther were very few distinct cliques. The "band kids" were good friends with the "jocks" and so on. My younger siblings are at my old high school now and their experience is nothing like mine, the school is stratified and can become socially stifling. My parents also teach at a high school that has very large economic and ethnic differences, leading to a huge collection of cliques. Personally, I have very little experience with cliques due to my unique high school experience, though I can see their effects in my younger siblings. -Matt Munley
In any type of social environment, you are going to have cliques that develop. I think that this stems a lot from the whole idea that we tend to stay with the people we are most comfortable with. Now, I know there are types of cliques that help to single out other groups or individuals to pick on them, but for the most part, I haven't had many experiences with cliques that really set out to segregate themselves from others. In many ways, as I was growing up, I had friends that fit into a variety of groups and I never had anyone tell me not to hang out with only certain people. Of course, it is different for everyone. -Nick Hartz
Cliques are an interesting thing. It wasn't until college when I became part of a clique. Up until then I always had a small group of close friends who I chose to associate with. Even now, I am closer friends with some of the people in my clique than I am with others, but we all still get together when we can. It's all about who you can relate to the most and who you are the most comfortable with that determines who you're closest with, just like Nick H. said in the above response. As a teacher, I can relate to my students as they are going through this phase of their life. Since I am a teacher and cheerleading coach I have seen the effects of cliques and I can identify the students who are the leaders, those who are the followers, and those who are the loners, especially on the cheerleading squad. The cliques on the cheerleading squad this year were really troublesome because the girls would not work together cooperatively. The other coach and I had several talks with the girls about what was going on and explained to them that they need to worry about themselves and come together as a team. In my classes, I try to encourage my students to be themselves and to let them know that it's good and okay to be different; we are all unique in our own way and that should be respected. I explain to them that I was in their shoes once and I share some of my stories with them. I think this helps them (especially those who are not part of any clique) to feel more comfortable with themselves and at the very least in my classroom, at least I hope so. ~K. Kleckauskas
It is amazing that these practices still are going strong in this society. As a girl growing up in small, rural community, I was bussed to a larger town for junior high and high school. I had an absolutely horrifying experience as a seventh grader. I was the outsider and picked on by the clique of "cool" girls. I had 1 friend my 7th grade year and cried every day after school. Now that I have 2 girls of my own, I am finding it much more difficult to watch as my girls go through some similiar situations that I encountered at their age. Wow, it seems as though there is something we, as a society could do to help eliminate some of this behavior. But as I age, I am finding that the Queen Bee just grows up to be an older one! G. Cabutti
Last year I had a clique in my fifth grade beginning band. I had not encountered such a group before in a band setting. I usually do not dislike students but these girls were obnoxious when they were together. I am still amazed at how rude and inconsiderate of others feelings they were. I really believe that their actions are directly related to what their parents did or did not teach them. While they were decent musicians I was relieved for the other students when the clique decided not to continue with band. M. Rice
There is not doubt that Cliques are extremely prevalent in society and are especially strong among school age children. It is interesting to read about how some cliques can be very harmful whereas other cliques are helpful and supportive. As a high school band director I like to think of the “band clique” to be a positive thing. While this is not always the case, I am pleased to see that in the band world my students are generally supportive of one another and are inviting of new members-as long as they are in band of course. How can we as educators facilitate more supportive-healthy cliques in our schools?
–J. Blanken-Webb
I teach at a very small school that houses grades 7 through 12. I have seen the most evidence of cliques in the junior high. We have a group of girls that are a version of the emo group. They wear black clothing, neck ties and safety pins in any place you can find them. They cause trouble inside the classroom. They do not get along with anyone else and they have extremely bad attitudes. There was a "spat" a few weeks ago between them and the "preps". The "emo" group believes that the preps are kiss ups because they do their homework, play sports and behave in school. The part that is the most disturbing is that the "emo" group believes that everyone else in the junior high is a "prep" if they are not "emo". One day a boy asked me if I thought he was a "hick". I told him that I thought he was himself. I told him that I didn't classify people as one certain thing because we are so much more. I said think about your mom. You call her mom, she has a proper name, she is a daughter, a sister, a wife , an aunt, a cousin and so on. I think that this got all of the kids thinking about the little "cliques" that have been formed. ~J. Herrma
One thing that I notice at my school is that there isn't a click that seems to attack other students in a mental or physical manner. This is different from when I was in school because cliques were always trying to pick on other people with the intention of hurting them. I have become a very observent person in the past 12 years, so I feel that I notice a lot of things that most people don't notice. I have watched students at school everyday for three years and I have yet to see the crap that I saw when I was in school. I see bullies, but I do not see cliques causing problems. Don't get me wrong, there are the stereotypical cliques at the school where I teach, I just have not seen the hatefulness from them that I did when I grew up. Personally, I am impressed with this because the bullies were never the biggest problems. The cliques were the ones that really hurt because they had such an influence. The bullies may have been one or two people, where cliques are usually a large group of people that just don't know when to quit. I was never part of a clique when I went through school. I was friends with a lot of different people in a lot of different cliques. In fact, my best friends were all in different cliques, so I was like a pinball bouncing around to everyone enjoying the positives from all of the groups. Honestly, I think I had an amazing adolecense because of this and I would not take it back for the world. ~ R. Hayes
References and other links of interest
Does Your Child Click with a Clique?
Mean Girls: A Culture of Cliques
[http://www.pbs.org/inthemix/educators/lessons/cliques1/katietranscript.htm Here is an interesting piece done by PBS on Cliques. Worth a look.]
The Compelling Power of Cliques
Wiseman, R. (2002). Queen Bees and Wannabees. New York, NY: Crown Publishers.
Simmons, R. (2002). Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Trade Publishing.
http://www.coe.uga.edu/~smago/VirtualLibrary/Bateman.pdf This paper discusses the connection between gangs, cliques, and peer pressure. It is written from the perspecitive of a 9th English instructor. This issue is very pertinent at the school I teach at, we do not have cliques as much as gangs. I believe the two are distinquishable by the thinnest of margins. Most of the gangs we deal with are hybrids or local off-shoots of large city gangs. -Brian
